Brush having bristle cleaning apertures



Jan. 15, 19 52 J, MARCO 2,582,552

BRUSH HAVING BRISTLE CLEANING APERTURES Filed May 4, 1949 INVENTOR.

Patented Jan. 15, 1952 BRUSH 'HAV I-NG BRISTLE CLEANING APERTURES"FredericknJ. Marco, Des. Plaines, 111. Application Mar-4; 1949;SerialN'o'. 9126s My present invention. relates to-improvementsf in.brushes; u Thezprimary object of my, inventioniisitoproe' 7' which theapex thereof extends toward the bot-= vide a brush having a head inwhich a plu-.--'

wality of tufts: of. bristles. are mounted, andwhich head'isfurtherprovided: with-a plurality of I apertures of .a character enabling theeifi cient cleaning otthe tufts of bristles.

My invention in the main is concerned with the provision of a brush ofthe characterim dicatedhaving unique application for the-afore-Essentiall I propose :to-

mentioned. purpose. provide a plurality of apertures in thehead 0f- .the,brush, .inwhich each apertureis: characterized. in. the. main by havingthedefining wall thereof of conical formation and spirallyygroovediasto. impart. av swirling. or rotating. movement. to water applied inastreamagainst the-brush headl soi'that the water is thrown outbycentrifugal) forceuponthe. rootsof tufts: of. bristles to bathe thelatter. Further,.in order. to utilizethe-vortex created at the throat tothoroughly cleanse the:

roots of the tufts of bristles, the opening. of the apertures .at thebottom surface. of. the head of the brush from which. thetufts. ofbristles ex? tend outwardly, are preferably flared or rounded. so" that,inaddition, surface tension or capillary actionof water with. such avsurface further effects delivery ofl-thewater in a swirlingho twardexpandingiashion .to.. the roots birthstufts off bristles.

A.' preferred feature. of one. embodiment-of invention is to provideapertures? havingthe defining surfaces thereof, lying substantially inthesurfaces in. a- .pair of. cones,. -one extending;

inwardly of th top and bottomsurfaces of. the 1 head with the apices.of? suclr'cones directed toward each. other, and in.which....the..defining, walls of the apertures are spirally;.grooved.for.v

thepurpose above indicated.

I My'invention may also be embodied injacon}.

struction in which the apertures have. thede;v

fining walls of each thereof lying inth'esurface of the cone andspirallygrooved, .and,.in; hich defining wall' thereofllyingllsubstantially, inthe surfacef of a. cone. and spirally grooved, butlin,

tom surface of the brush;

' In adapting my invention for use; for example; in a toothbrush, two-l'engthwiseextending rows'of-tuftsof bristles may bep-rovide'dtogether:

with three rows of aperturesrofany of the forms above indicatedwitheachrow-oftufts of bristles being" arranged-between adj acent. rows?oflaper tures." I

' Alternatively, if desired, and:' particularly in: instances Where" agreater. number. of .tuftsiwof; bristlesiis desired, the brush maycomprise three; rows, of. tufts of bristles and; two rows. oftapertures, of the character indicated. with the; rows of aperturesaligned one :each. between; adjacent? rows ofcthe tufts ofloristles.

The above, andother objects. and advantages; ofmyinvention. will. appearfrom: the detail. de:-

scription;

: Now inzorder'to-disclose fully'my present in.-- vention I:shalldescribe in. connection with the accompanying drawings certain.preferred. em-'" bodimentsof my invention.

In; the drawings::: Figure 1- is a perspectiveview of a toothbrush inwhich my. presentinvention is embodied;5

Figure 2 is an enlargedplanview of azportionzr ofsthe headof-thetoothbrush-of Figure.1;, FigureB isadetail verticalsectionalrlview taken": substantially along; the line 3-3- of Figure 2lookinginthe direction indicated by thevarrows;

. Figure 4 is a. detail vertical sectional-view: showing,furtherembodiment of: my invention;'; Figure 5; is. another detail.vertical. sectionali view :ShOWiIlglStill: another modification" of myinvention; 7

- Figurexdisia plan-.view of. thei'headof a: toot brush.illustratingathemannerrirrwhich' a pin-'- rality. of" rows-0f: tufts of bristles andapertures have shown abrush' l of" the general configure tion.of'aconventional toothbrush and having-a1 handle-'2': and:.a;head.portion"3;. The head'por tion123 comprisesa topisurface i and' a bottorrrsurface-.5; preferably?connected by rounded edge portions'. A pluralityof. tufts of bristles 61' are" mounted ina conventional way in:the headmem= her .4--Withxthe1 tufts of: bristles projecting "outwardly of. thebottom. surface. 5.

In. the: preferred: form .of: myrinventiom shown top and'bottom surfaces4 and 5 are flared or rounded as indicated at I4, for a; purpose tobe. Idescribed. Flaring of the opening of the apertures at the top surface isnot critical but such flaring at the bottom surfaces as will appearenables the effective cleaning of the tufts of bristles 6. I g

In the construction described upon disposal "of the head 3 below astreanfi'of water, as by holding the head below a faucet, the waterenters the aperture 1 and due to the spiral grooving ll thereof arotating or swirling action is imparted to thewater. The throat H) ofeach aperture defines the maximum opening for the passage of watertherethrough, and the spiral grooves ll serve to prevent the stream ofwater being impinged upon the head from passing straight through theapertures by virtue of the vortex created. The spiral grooves ll serveto maintain appropriate flow of water for passage through the minimumdiameter of the aperture defined by throat Hi. In the passage of thewater through the lower conical openings 9 of the apertures, the waterfollows a path gradually increasing in diameter so that substantialcentrifugal force is developed, whereupon as the water leaves theapertures at the bottom wall 5 of the head 3 it is thrown against theroots of the tufts of bristles 5. The water thus discharged is effectiveto cleanse thoroughly the tufts of bristles. The aformentioned flaringof the openings of the apertures at the bottom surface of the headadditionally serve, due to surface tension or capillary action of thewater with respect 'to such flared surfaces, for effecting delivery ofthe water to the roots of the bristles and which together with therotary motion imparted thereto by the spiral grooves creates a vortexeffective in substantial measure to apply the cleansing water to theroots of the bristles to clean same. In addition to cleaning thebristles the above described movement of the water removes anysediment,as for example, the collection of tooth paste or powder, from the bottomsurface of thehead.

In the preferred form of my invention the intersecting surfaces of thespiral grooves H and other portions thereof are preferably rounded so asto avoid any sharp corners in which sediment may collect. Also to thisend it is preferred that the defining walls of the aperture should besmoothly finished and devoid of any dents or crevices.

Referring now to Figure 4 I have shown a modified from of my inventionin which the apertures formed in the head 22 are each formed by adefining wall, indicated generally at ,23, lying substantially in thesurface of a cone, and in which the apex of the conical defining surfaceis directed toward the bottom surface 24 of the head 22. As before tuftsof bristles 25 are mounted in the head 22 between adjacent apertures 20,and the end portions of the conical defining walls 23 adjacent thebottom wall 24 are flared so as to aid in directing the water upon theroots of the tufts of bristles. In this form of my invention theapertures 20 are also preferably spirally grooved as at 26 so that arotating 5 or swirling action is imparted to the water.

In the form of my invention shown in Figure 5 the head 30 of the brushagain carries a plurality of tufts of bristles, one of which is shownat-,32 mounted between a pair of aper- 10 tures indicated generally at33 which extend from the top surface 34 of the head to the bottomsurface 35 thereof. The apertures 33 each have a-defining wall,indicated generally at 36, v lying substantially in the surface of acone which 15 is spirally grooved as indicated at 31, and arranged sothat the apex of the conical defining wall extends toward the uppersurface 34 of the head. The openings of the apertures at the bottom wall34 are flared or..rounded about the peri- 20 pheries thereof and towardthe roots of the tufts of bristles 32 for the purpose already noted foraiding in directing the water onto the roots of the tufts of bristlesfor the purpose already discused. V 25 Reference may now be had toFigure 6 in which there is shown a tooth brush head 40 which comprisestwo lengthwise extending rows of tufts of bristles 42 and threelengthwise extending rows of apertures 44 which may be of any 30 of theforms above described. In the arrangee ment shown in Figure 6 the tworows of tufts of bristles are arranged between adjacent rows ofapertures 44.

In Figure '7 there is shown another form of. 35 tooth brush in whichthree lengthwise rows of bristles 45 are provided and two lengthwise exacircle which is substantially tangent to the periphery of the adjacenttufts of bristles.

In the form or arrangement of the tufts of,

bristles as shown in Figure 6, the lengthwise side edges of the head 48are preferably rounded so as to facilitate capillary action of waterimposed in a stream on the upper surface of the edge to project latterlyinwardly from the bottom surface of the head to bathe the roots of thebristles.

5 adjacent thereto in the cleaningof the brush in the manner described.

While I have shown and described what I considerto be certain preferredembodiment of my invention it will be understood that variousmodifications and rearrangements may be made therein without departingfrom the spirit and scope of my invention.

I claim: 1. A brush comprising a head, a pluralityof tufts of bristlessecured in said head and extending outwardly of the bottom surface ofthe head, and a plurality of conical ,apertures extending through saidhead at portions thereof between adjacent tufts of bristles from theupper surface to the bottom surface of the head, and said aperturessubstantially throughout their entire length having the defining wallsthereof spirally grooved, whereby upon disposal the upper surface ofsaid head below a stream of water said spiral grooves 7 serve to imparta rotating or swirling action to observed that the openings of theapertures lie on.

the water passing through said apertures so that the water is throwncircumferentially outwardly of the apertures at the bottom surface ofsaid head upon the roots of the tufts of bristles.

2. A brush comprising a brush head having substantially parallel upperand bottom surfaces, a plurality of tufts of bristles extendingoutwardly of the bottom surface of the head, a plurality of spirallygrooved substantially conical apertures extending through said headbetween the upper and bottom surfaces thereof and at portions of saidhead between adjacent tufts of bristles, and said apertures at theportions thereof opening outwardly of the bottom wall of said headflaring toward the roots of the tufts of bristles, whereby upon disposalof the upper surface of said head below a stream of water, said spiralgrooves serve to impart a rotating or whirling action to the waterpassing through said aper tures, and which together with surface tensionor capillary action of the water with the flaring of the apertures atthe bottom surface of said head serving to bathe the roots of said tuftsof bristles due to the vortex created.

3. A brush comprising, a head, a plurality of tufts of bristles securedin said head and extending outwardly of the bottom surface of the head.a plurality of apertures extending through said head at portions thereofbetween adjacent tufts of bristles from the top surface to the bottomsurface of said head, said apertures each having the defining wallthereof lying substantially in the surfaces of a pair of cones oneextending inwardly of each of the top and bottom surfaces of said headand with their apices directed toward each other, and said defining wallof each of said apertures being spirally grooved, whereby upon disposalof the top surface of said head below a stream of water the spiralgrooving of said apertures prevent flow of water in a straight paththerethrough and impart a rotating or whirling action to the water sothat the water is thrown outwardly of the apertures at the bottomsurface of said head upon the roots of the tufts of bristles.

4. The brush of claim 3 characterized by the portions of the openings ofthe apertures at the bottom surface of said head being formed withflared surfaces extending toward the roots of the tufts of bristles soas to utilize surface tension or capillary action of the water flowingthrough said apertures with the flared surfaces for further effectingthe delivery of the water to the roots of said tufts of bristles.

5. A brush, comprising a head, a plurality of tufts of bristles securedin said head and extending outwardly of the bottom surface of said head,a plurality of apertures extending through said head at portions thereofbetween adjacent tufts of bristles from the top surface to the bottomsurface of said head, each said aperture having the defining wallthereof lying substantially in the surface of a cone with the apex ofthe latter directed toward said bottom surface of said head, and saiddefining walls of said apertures being spirally grooved, whereby upondisposal of the upper surface of said head below a stream of water, saidspiral grooves serve to impart a rotating or whirling action to thewater passing through said apertures so that the Water is thrownoutwardly of the apertures at said bottom surface of said head upon theroots of the tufts of bristles.

6. A brush comprising, a head, a plurality of tufts of bristles securedin said head and extending outwardly of the bottom surface of said head,a plurality of apertures extending through said head at portions thereofbetween adjacent tufts of bristles from the top surface to the bottomsurface of said head, each said apertures having the defining wallthereof lying substantially in the surface of a cone with the apex ofthe latter directed toward said top surface of said head, and saiddefining walls of said apertures at said bottom surface of said headhaving portions flaring toward the roots cf the adjacent tufts ofbristles, and said defining walls of said apertures being spirallygrooved, whereby upon disposal of the upper surface of said head below astream of water, said spiral grooves serve to impart a rotating orwhirling action to the water passing through said apertures, and whichtogether with surface tension of the water with the flared portions ofthe apertures at the bottom surface of said head serving to throw thewater outwardly upon the roots of bristles due to the vortex created.

7. The brush of claim 1 characterized by said tufts of bristles beingarranged in rows extending substantially lengthwise of the head of thebrush, and with the apertures being arranged in rows between adjacentrows of tufts of bristles.

8. The brush of claim 1 characterized by said tufts of bristles beingarranged in three substantially lengthwise rows, and in which saidapertures are arranged in two rows one between each adjacent row of saidtufts of bristles.

9. The brush of claim 1 characterized by said tufts of bristles beingarranged in two substantially lengthwise extending rows, and in whichsaid apertures are arranged in substantially three lengthwise rows withone row of tuft of bristles being arranged between adjacent rows of saidapertures.

FREDERICK J. MARCO.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file ofthis patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 425,165 Doty Apr. 8, 1890 668,361Tesch Feb. 19, 1901 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 141,640 GreatBritain Apr. 22, 1920 794,580 France Dec. 12, 1935

